Swatara

May 3, 2025

Swatara Gap, PA

Mile 1185.3

Swatara Gap was only about 6 or 7 miles out, so today would, theoretically, be a shorter and easier day. I had hopes to meet up with a good friend there, and the resupply, Stay-AT-Swatara, allowed for tenting on the lawn, so it would be a good place to stop. The first few tenths of a mile were fairly straightforward, passing what looked like a reservoir before veering off into wooded ground. One of the hikers I’d met the day before said that Trout Unlimited owned some of this area, and was changing the ph of the water to make it more acidic and therefore more viable for the fish. I hadn’t needed to filter water from there, so I can’t confirm. 

One of the cautionary notes on FarOut mentioned an area uptrail that was “flooded due to beaver activity.” Much like the porcupine party back at Cove Mountain, comments followed which either excoriated or downplayed the beaver dam, so I was curious to see what I’d find there.

Shortly before I hit that section, I saw an alternate trail to go around it, but I pressed forward. Sadly, I saw no beavers, but the dam and the recent rains meant crossing on a series of logs to the other side. Apart from an uncertain moment when my pole got stuck in the bog and I had trouble getting it out, I managed fairly well, I think. 

The rest of the trail was green and featured solid ground. It had rained buckets the night before, and there were some muddy, slippery ascents here and there, but there were also flowering trees and the scent of honeysuckle floating in the air. The world seemed fresh.

No beavers but lots of these little guys

Stay-AT-Swatara is run by a family—it’s their house, with a shed on the property for resupply, a charging station on their front porch, and a pavilion for hikers to rest and eat in the shade. They also had an outdoor restroom complete with shower and a little laundry alcove. When I arrived, Jim and Bridges were still there. Jim Would leave shortly, since he was aiming for either the next shelter, 7 more miles up, or the one after that, right off of 501. Bridges stayed to rest a bit longer, but headed out as well. I stayed behind to meet my friend Amber for a great lunch and a little exploring of the area. Meeting friends is something I’d been looking forward to for a long time. It was indeed awesome, but it felt a little weird to say goodbye, and I got a bit homesick afterward. This hike is doing a lot to show me what I need and don’t need, what I value, but it intensifies everything—and I find that I value my people a lot.

The family had just put up a big army tent for hikers to stay in, so I went that route instead of tenting on the lawn. It was supposed to rain again that night, and it sure did. There was one other hiker staying on the property who had chosen to tent outside—she and her dog ended up sleeping under the pavilion. As I left Swatara behind, my feet were squelching on the grass.